Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Thailand

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made

Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile

Products Produced or Manufactured in Thailand

October 23, 1998.

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: October 29, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of

Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the quota status of these

limits, refer to the Quota Status Reports posted on the bulletin boards

of each Customs port or call (202) 927-5850. For information on

embargoes and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.

[[Page 58016]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

The current limits for certain categories are being adjusted,

variously, for carryover, carryforward, swing and special shift.

A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS

numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel Categories

with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (see Federal

Register notice 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997). Also see

62 FR 65246, published on December 11, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

October 23, 1998.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,

the directive issued to you on December 5, 1997, as amended on May

1, 1998, by the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements. That directive concerns imports of certain

cotton, wool, man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber

textiles and textile products, produced or manufactured in Thailand

and exported during the period January 1, 1998 through December 31,

1998.

Effective on October 29, 1998, you are directed to adjust the

limits for the following categories, as provided for under the

Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adjusted twelve-month limit

Category \1\

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Levels in Group I

218....................................... 18,340,776 square meters.

313-O \2\................................. 15,863,433 square meters.

315-O \3\................................. 37,387,234 square meters.

363....................................... 23,271,968 numbers.

Sublevels in Group II

331/631................................... 1,842,210 dozen pairs.

334/634................................... 735,365 dozen.

335/635/835............................... 444,224 dozen.

340....................................... 322,227 dozen.

345....................................... 340,129 dozen.

438....................................... 19,817 dozen.

645/646................................... 351,694 dozen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports

exported after December 31, 1997.

\2\ Category 313-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.52.3035, 5208.52.4035

and 5209.51.6032.

\3\ Category 315-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.52.4055.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has

determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 98-29039 Filed 10-28-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F